Grand AM
Jamie Holtom (No. 01 Georgian Bay Motorsports Chevrolet Cobalt SS): ”Trois-Rivières is a track that I’ve grown up around, being from Montreal and watching my Dad racing. It’s an event that I love to race at and that I get goose-bumps just thinking about. Georgian Bay Motorsports has always been fast here, but for some reason we haven’t been able to translate that into a great result. To win here, all of the stars need to be perfectly aligned and we haven’t had luck on our side. This year we’ve done our homework and are looking to rack up another win for the Chevy Cobalt and TTL, and to put on a great show for the fans. Unfortunately, my regular co-driver Eric [Curran] can’t make it to the event, so I’ll be teamed with an old co-driver of mine; Andy Lally. To win here would be a dream come true.”
Jep Thornton (No. 09 Automatic Racing Imported Car Store/Land Air BMW M3): “Trois-Rivières is one of my favorite races. The Saturday night party the town throws is the best we have all season and the crowds are fantastic. I have a lot of laps at Trois-Rivières and am very much looking forward to the race.”
Nick Wittmer (No. 32 i-MOTO Racing Acura TSX): ”I want to make that five victories; I’m definitely looking forward to that a lot. Right now, the cars are beautiful. They’re not wrecked or anything, so it should be good. I’m looking forward to it. It’s great, and the fans are great too. It’s a one-time thing up there for them, and it’s huge. The people love it, and it’s a great crowd.”
Louis-Philippe Dumoulin (No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche 997): “This is something we’ve looked forward to for a long time. This is the third time J-F and I are driving together. A guy from Trois-Rivières has been sponsoring us for a long time, and we got together with John Tecce and BGB Motorsports to put this deal together. It’s be great to finally win a KONI Challenge race, and to do so with my brother, in front of the hometown crowd, would be indescribable, overwhelming. I led a lot of laps last year, but we fell back when I handed the car off to J-F during the pit stop. It was just bad strategy for us. I should have gotten out sooner and given the car over to J-F because we were hoping for a yellow. This year, we won’t do that again. We want this victory!”
Hugh Plumb (No. 60 Rehagen Racing Ford Mustang GT): ”I’ve won (here) before and we were third there last year. It’s really a survival game as far as conserving the car and conserving the brakes. I think we found a brake package that will last in the Mustang. I think it’s going to be good for the Mustangs so we’ll just have to see. I think we found something for the more twisty, lower-speed corner aspect and I’m very comfortable there. It’ll be good.”
Karl Thomson (No. 73 Compass360 Racing Acura RSX-S): “Trois-Rivières is one of the season’s highlights. The fans are so passionate! This is the only race my wife and kids travel to all year, and they come because the atmosphere is so amazing. The cuisine is like nowhere else, the downtown area is closed off to cars and becomes a carnival, and the surrounding countryside is breathtaking. It’s one amazing track and I love it!”
Benoit Theetge (No. 76 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si): “This is a home track for me. I’ve won many races here, and I know how hard it is to push every lap, with concrete barriers all around. But it’s an awesome track, a place that really separates the men from the boys. You have to give 100 percent commitment every lap. As always, my co-driver Christian Miller and I are going for the win! “
Marc-Antoine Camirand (No. 79 Kinetic Motorsports BMW M3): ”I am really excited about the Trois-Rivières KONI race for many reasons. This is a tough road course, it’s tight and there is no room for mistakes. This is my home track, I live a half an hour from the Trois-Rivières and my dad owns a BMW shop in the area so I am familiar with the M3’s as well. Also, I know Andy (Lally) well and we have the same driving style and both know the track. I think we are a perfect match and along with Kinetic Motorsports, I think we’ll have the winning combination.”
Andy Lally (No. 79 Kinetic Motorsports BMW M3): ”I am really looking forward to Le Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières this weekend. What makes this one of the best races of the season is that it’s a street circuit, which I love and the entire city comes out to support the event on this Holiday weekend. This track is incredible and challenging, from the heat to the braking, you really need to have a successful race strategy. My co-driver for this KONI challenge is Marc-Antoine Camirand, who has spent plenty of time at this track as well as myself, this will mark my 10th year racing at Trois-Rivières and it’s always a favorite of mine.”
Charlie Putman (No. 91 Automatic Racing BMW M3): ”I haven’t been to Trois-Rivières yet, but everyone says it’s their favorite stop on the KONI Challenge tour because of the enthusiastic fans and the great track, so I’m really looking forward to it. I have to be in Mosport a few days after the race, so my wife and I are going to stay in Canada and play tourist!”
Kristian Skavnes (No. 111 ICY/Phoenix Racing Subaru Legacy): “The layout at Trois-Rivières is unique. It’s part fairgrounds access roads, part city streets, including the only turn on any major track in the world where you make a left turn traveling beneath a stone municipal archway at an intersection. Passing an equal competitor on this track can be a multi-lap effort, and if you haven’t completed a pass in time, you’re now rushing into the next 90-degree turn way too fast.”
